


Lost Letter

by Riza_B



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, F/M, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-29 15:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19403047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riza_B/pseuds/Riza_B
Summary: After a long day of searching for Oscar in Argus, the group finds him safe and sound. Jaune proposes the idea of using an Atlas airship to leave the city.Later that night, Weiss realizes she still has something Pyrrha left for Jaune





	Lost Letter

The dinner Oscar had tried to make for everyone nearly burned, but Saphron and Terra saved it just in time. We had been too busy watching Ruby fight for Jaune’s idea into Atlas. I was terrified to see her stand up to her uncle like that. 

Any time I had tried to stand up to my father, it always ended poorly. Violently.   
To see Ruby do it with such conviction; it was inspiring. 

But Qrow wasn’t upset. Not really. He seemed, proud in a way. He smirked approvingly and sat down with Maria in the living room. 

The Cotta-Arc home was small. Much smaller than anywhere I had stayed before. Even the house in Mistral was bigger. But, what it lacked in size, it made up for it in hospitality. We crowded around the living room to talk through Jaune’s plan over dinner. 

-

Once everything was settled, the dishes done, and the plan set, everyone split up through the house. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard Ren and Nora whispering just above me. 

“… been so upset lately. When we saw her statue tonight, I wasn’t sure what he would do!”  
Nora sounded worried, but Ren calmed her down.   
“Jaune’s reaction to a commemoration of Pyrrha was not what I expected either. I am glad to see him doing better. And talking about himself more kindly.”

I froze. I suddenly needed to give Jaune something that I had forgotten about a long time ago. I quietly retraced my steps and retrieved my suitcase next to the front door. I dug inside until I found my notebook. I rarely used it anymore, but hopefully it still had what I was looking for in it. After skimming through its pages, I quickly found the one piece of loose paper, took it out, and hurried to find Jaune. 

He was sitting outside in his sister’s backyard, hunched over in a lawn chair looking up at the stars.   
“Oh Weiss! Hey sorry, I thought everyone had gone to bed already. Is everything all right?” He always sounded so sincerely apologetic. And kind.

I wasn’t sure what how to start. “Yeah, everything is fine. I’m fine.” I pointed to the chair beside his and asked, “could I join you?”

“Of course!”

We sat in silence for a long time. Past the point of it being awkward. I tried to think of how I would tell him, or even start talking to him. But he started before I had to. 

“Are you worried about Atlas? About our plan? We can still change it if you don’t feel comfortable.” 

He must have thought that was what was on my mind.   
“No, I’m not worried. I mean, I am, but everyone will be right there with me. And Ruby promised it would be okay. I trust her. I trust you. It’s a good plan Jaune”

He smiled. I didn’t think he was used to compliments very often. He seemed to always really appreciate them. “Thank you”, he finally said. 

It got quiet again. I turned the folded note over in my hands a few times before bringing it up.   
“I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s about Pyrrha. Is that okay?”

He shook his head in agreement. “What about… Pyrrha?” It took him a moment to say her name. 

“Back at Beacon, Pyrrha had asked for my help writing something”, I started.   
He shifted his seat so he could look right at me.  
“She found me in the library one day. She said she had heard that I sang and asked if I ever wrote any of my own songs. I thought it was a little odd but went with it. I showed her my notebook that I keep my songs in.”  
I lifted up the notebook in my other hand, showing it to him.   
“She wanted to write a poem. She knew what she wanted to say, but not how. And had hoped I could help put it into words. I told her I could try and asked her what she wanted to write about so suddenly.”

Jaune had been nodding along, but the lost look on his face told me that he was blind to where the story was going. 

I lifted the folded paper.   
“I just realized tonight that I still had her final version. She gave it to me….”, I paused. I thought for a moment if telling him would hurt more or less. I quickly decided the truth was best. “She gave it to me the day before beacon was attacked. She wanted to know what I thought. It’s about you, Jaune.”

He just stared at me. Stared at the paper in my hands. I would have been terrified to open it. I think he was too.   
So I continued. I wanted to buy him time, and I thought it might help. 

“We started writing it together in our study time in the library. I would ask her questions and write, and she would talk about what she wanted to say. I don’t think she really needed my help to make it sound nice. I think she mostly wanted to say it out loud and have someone to listen to her thoughts.”

Looking back, it must have been hard for Pyrrha. We both knew Jaune had a crush on me. It must have been really difficult for her to ask for my help. But after what he did for me at the dance, talking to Neptune, I wanted to help them. And once we started going, I realized just how much she loved Jaune. 

“She told me that the very first time you two met, she knew you were special. You treated her like a normal person. You weren’t afraid of her. I guess, she didn’t get a lot of people like that, it was new to her.”

Jaune gave a quiet chuckle, but his smile stayed when he spoke, “she told me that once. That she really liked how I treated her just like I do everyone else.”

I was glad it was so dark out. The lights of the house were behind us, and I didn’t think he could see my face very well. I didn’t want him to see me get teary. I am the Ice Queen!  
“She said that you restored her hope. That you were so brave, and pure, and kind. Always so kind. You really changed her as much as she changed you, Jaune.”

He looked down at his armor. “I really doubt that Weiss.”

“It’s true! She didn’t know if she could really make a difference before. She was talented, but all that got her was fame and put on a box of cereal. You showed her that even one person can make a change. You always keep fighting, Jaune. You always get back up! You gave her hope. She told me so herself.”

If he wasn’t shocked before, he was now. But I wasn’t done yet. I took a moment to collect myself before continuing.   
“Do you remember that day Professor Goodwitch took us to Forever Fall Forest? We had to collect all of that tree sap? She said that was when she knew. That day she knew. You were cornered by a giant ursa, it was you or the biggest bully in Beacon and you chose to stand and fight. You chose to protect the guy who had been awful to you all year. You stood up for yourself and him. That was when she knew.”

The dim light shined just enough on his face for me to see him acting shy.   
“Yeah well, it was a big ursa. What else could I have done? Sure, Cardin is a creep but come on.”  
He stopped suddenly.   
“Wait, that was when she knew what?”

“That was when she knew she loved you, you dolt! You saw her in a way no one else did. She saw you were brave and kind. You opened up to her more than anyone else. She really loved you. And she wanted my help in writing a poem that would help her to tell you that.”

He dropped his gaze so I wouldn’t see his tears. His breathing quickened. “I wish I would have known. I would have done things differently. I knew we were friends. And after she kissed me, I knew she like, liked me. But I never knew she loved me…”

“She told me so. She said ‘Weiss, I love that boy. Please help me tell him.’ I told her that I had no idea what she saw in you. Until I did. Seeing you through her eyes, it makes a lot of sense.”

Jaune was still crying lightly. “I would have told her. If I knew that day, I would have told her that…” his voice cracked. “…I would have told her that I loved her too. Before she left, I would have told her I fell in love at the ball. While I was wearing a borrowed dress and red sneakers. I would have told her every day.”

I looked down at the folded paper.   
“There are some additions she made that I hadn’t seen yet. It sounded like she knew something might happen to her…”

A light scrapping noise, like metal on metal, suddenly came from behind us. We both jumped and turned to find Qrow standing just past the back door. His flask was already being returned to his pocket.   
“Yeah, that was probably Ozpin. We offered her to become the next Fall Maiden. But Ozpin told her that the process might combine her personality with the last maiden. The Pyrrha you knew might have disappeared in all but appearance. She must have wanted you to know that whatever happens, she was still around.”

I was about to yell at him for invading a private conversation, but he looked sad. I thought about Ruby’s mother. If she had the chance to write a final goodbye, would she? Would she have told everyone that she would still love them all, even then? I decided not to yell at Qrow, he had been through enough. 

“How long have you been here?” I whispered harshly, remembering everyone trying to sleep inside. 

Qrow tilted his head to one side, then the other. “I walked in at Jaune wearing a dress and sneakers. You know I pulled off that look once! All on account of Taiyang telling me it was a kilt at the time…”

I was worried Jaune would be upset, but he laughed. It was good to hear him laugh for a moment, even for just a little while. 

I handed Jaune the folded paper. He looked at it, then back at me.   
“Thank you, so much Weiss. You brought her back, even for just a little while. Thank you.”

“I should have given that to you sooner, I’m sorry Jaune.”

“No! Now is the perfect time. I think I was meant to see this today.” He looked up at the sky again. His cheeks were still streaked from dried tears, but he was smiling again. This time a big, happy smile. 

I smiled too, got up, and wished Jaune a good night. Then I followed Qrow back inside to go to bed. Before I made it to the stairs Qrow stopped me. 

“Hey, wait up kiddo.”  
He looked sad. His usual stoic defense was down. Either too much alcohol or too many sad memories finally let it down.   
“What did she leave for him?”  
He asked hopefully. 

“A poem. Or it could be a song? I suggested to Pyrrha that she could sing it to him but she didn’t think she had a singing voice,” I replied quietly so as not to alert Jaune or anyone sleeping. 

Qrow leaned against the opposite wall.   
“That’s really nice. Pyrrha was a great huntress.”  
He sighed and closed his eyes.   
“What is it called?”

I smiled as I thought about the name. It was too good to pass up when we thought of it so long ago in the Beacon library. She fell for Jaune in the forest that day. There was clearly only one title possible for a situation like that!   
“Forever Fall.”

**Author's Note:**

> I take no credit for the song or these characters. You can find the song on iTunes or at this link  
> Song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIAicaV1EW0
> 
> I highly suggest listening to it afterwards
> 
> I imagine Jaune’s reply letter / poem is the song “Cold” from Volume 3


End file.
